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Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and elected to bowl first against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 on Friday. The high-profile encounter took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where RCB, led by Smriti Mandhana, received an enthusiastic welcome from their home fans.
RCB entered this match with an impressive start to their title defense, securing back-to-back victories in their first two games. The team’s batting lineup, featuring skipper Smriti Mandhana and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, has been in fine form, while Renuka Singh has been a standout performer with the ball. Meanwhile, MI came into this contest with one win from two games, bouncing back strongly against Gujarat Giants after suffering a loss to Delhi Capitals.
Speaking at the toss, MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur explained her decision to bowl first, stating, “We are gonna bowl first. We have seen that the first six overs are good for bowling, so we are going to chase. Last year we had a lot of fun in Bangalore, and we are looking forward to it again. We are going with the same eleven.”
Home Crowd Winning Possible?
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana acknowledged the energy of the home crowd and the importance of maintaining their winning momentum. “It’s good to be back and have this sort of welcome. I think it’s massive for the team to have fans around; it only motivates us. Whatever we do, we do for them. All the girls are really proud, we have done well in the last two games, but we know cricket is a game where we start from zero, and we are charged up. It looks like a good wicket; Vadodara had a lot of dew, but Bangalore won’t have much. I don’t mind batting first here. We are going with the same eleven,” she said.
An amusing moment unfolded during the toss when Mandhana was unexpectedly struck on the leg by a practice ball while flipping the coin. The ball, being used for warm-ups by players nearby, startled the RCB captain. MI’s Harmanpreet Kaur, standing beside her, instinctively tried to shield her counterpart. Though the incident was lighthearted, it added a humorous touch to the intense atmosphere at the toss.
Here is the video:
— kuchbhi@1234567 (@kuchbhi12341416) February 21, 2025
With MI opting to chase on a batting-friendly surface, the match promises to be a thrilling contest as both teams aim to continue their strong start in the WPL 2025 season.
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians Women: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amelia Kerr, Sajeevan Sajana, G Kamalini, Amanjot Kaur, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women: Smriti Mandhana (c), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Raghvi Bist, Kanika Ahuja, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Ekta Bisht, Joshitha VJ, Renuka Singh Thakur.
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